Volterra Vignettes Volume 3: Diamond in the Rough
by cullen's pet
Summary: Part 3 in the series. Bella's chance to confront the Cullen's comes a little quicker than she thought it would due to a new threat looming on the horizon. How will she react when she sees Edward for the first time since she was changed?


Title: Diamond in the Rough

Pairing: Alec/Bella

Rating: M

Prompt: diamonds

Bella waited patiently as Alec packed a few of his things. He didn't plan on taking everything. Volterra had been his home for almost twelve hundred years, so he had accumulated quite a few possessions and Marcus had assured him that he always had a home here if they should choose to return. She watched silently as he packed a small duffel bag. He took a few items of clothing, a small leather journal, a few books, and an old doll, as odd as it seemed.

"It's the only thing that I have from my childhood," he explained as he stowed it away carefully. Then he turned and removed his dark grey cloak and his amulet.

"You know you don't have to come with me," Bella said softly as she watched him hang the items from a peg on the wall.

"You're not leaving without me," he said fiercely as he turned to face her. "I said it once and I'll say it again, I've waited centuries, well over a thousand years for you. I won't let you get away from me so easily."

"Is that so?" she asked playfully. "You know good and well that if I wanted to get away from you that I could."

"I know," he said solemnly. "And I'm grateful that you gave me a chance, that you didn't incinerate me on the spot when you finished the change. After what you did to Aro..."

He trailed off as if he was reliving the memory, which she was sure that he was. She didn't even know what had happened exactly in the throne room. She just seemed to know what to do. She was different, that was for sure. She thought she was different in other ways as well. For instance, she hadn't been thirsty since she woke up. She knew that she should be. According to what she remembered, she should be ravenous. But she wasn't. She wasn't hungry at all.

"Is Jane coming with us as well?" she asked absently as her eyes trailed over his body. If there was one thing that she was hungry for, it was him. Her attraction to him was inexplicable. She had felt drawn to him as a human. The pull was even stronger now. If she had her way, they'd be naked and in his bed now. She reigned in her amorous thoughts and looked at him expectantly.

"Yes," he answered. "If it's okay with you. We've never been apart. I couldn't leave her here. She would be miserable."

"It's fine, Alec," she assured him. She would never expect him to come with her blindly and leave his only family behind, his twin sister at that. She didn't know Jane but she would make the effort to get to know her, for Alec's sake. "I don't mind if she comes. It'll be nice to have another girl to talk to."

Her thoughts flashed to Alice. As much as she hated to admit it, she really did miss the meddling, little pixie. She had thought of her as her sister. Her eyes stung as venom coated them. She couldn't understand why they all just left her like they did. She thought that they'd cared about her. She wondered if Alice had seen of the events of the past few days. Did she know that she was a vampire? Did she know that she'd killed over half of the Volturi leadership?

She knew that the news would spread rapidly. She wasn't worried though. Vampires would do well to keep a wide berth from her if they knew what was good for them. She wouldn't hesitate to defend herself, or Alec and Jane for that matter. But they had their own gifts. They could take care of themselves.

She started as Alec laid his hand on her shoulder. "We're ready, Isabella."

She stood and smiled at him. He really was something to look at. She turned and smiled at Jane. She could only imagine what the small, blonde vampire thought of her. She just woke up and wiped out two thirds of the leadership of her coven. One of them, most likely Aro, had been her sire, her father.

"I just want to get one thing clear before we leave," Bella said as she faced Jane. "I feel like I need to explain myself. I'm not sorry about what happened. They needed to be stopped. Aro needed to be stopped. He had overstepped his authority. It was wrong of him to kidnap me and turn me into a vampire. I'm sure he has done other things to gain vampires with powers just to add to his ultimate rule. And I couldn't just stand back and let him wield me like a weapon."

"You don't have to justify yourself to me, Bella," Jane explained gently. "Alec and I have carefully guarded our thoughts for a long time now about Aro and his unseemly ways. You did the vampire community at large a huge favor by getting rid of him."

Bella nodded and motioned to Alec. He took her hand and lead her from the castle. "Where do you want to go, Tesoro? Do you want to look for these animal drinkers, the Cullens?"

"No," she said, suddenly panicked. "I'm not ready to face them, just yet. I need some time to get myself under control. I don't want to accidentally hurt them because I'm over-emotional and can't control my power. No matter how badly they all hurt me, I still do care about them."

"Okay," he said. "We'll take our time. We'll travel Europe. I'll show you where Jane and I were born. I'll take you to Russia and show you the Kremlin. We can go to Romania and visit the original castle of Vlad Dracul. We'll go wherever you want."

She smiled softly at his excitement. She'd forgotten that he'd been a virtual prisoner in Volterra. She was sure that he never left the city walls unless he was on a mission. "That sounds wonderful," she agreed.

Alec took her and Jane all over Europe over the next few weeks. He took her to England to visit the village where he and Jane had been born. He showed her what was left of the square where they had been condemned as witches and sentenced to burn. He told her quietly that he hypothesized that it was the pain from the fire that had manifested their gifts; that Jane had been vengeful and had wanted everyone to feel the pain as she had and that he had been so desperate to escape the agony of burning that all he thought about was being numb, granting him the gift to cut off all of someone's senses. Aro had swooped in and slaughtered the whole village and saved them at the last minute, turning them both into vampires.

Bella was saddened by his tale. How could another human willfully kill someone in such an agonizing way? They must have suffered greatly before being bitten. Then all the healing that had to take place whilst they were changing. She couldn't even imagine it.

She had a new respect for the siblings for what they surely must have endured. It's no wonder that they had willingly served Aro all these years, even though they had the power to leave Volterra at any time. Aro had saved their lives. He had given them a new chance at life, a life in which they didn't face persecution. If she was being truthful, his story had eased her mind somewhat. She had wondered why they had willingly stood by and watched Aro's wicked ways. Things made a bit more sense now.

They left England behind and traveled to Russia and Siberia. Bella had hated the snow while she was still human. She found that she loved it as a vampire. The cold didn't bother her and the wet didn't bother her. She sat for hours outside just listening to the snow fall. With her enhanced hearing, it seemed to hypnotize her for long periods of time. She could hear each individual flake as it hit the ground. She could also see all the different intricate patterns of the flakes themselves. She amused herself for hours trying to prove or disprove the myth that there were no two snowflakes alike.

She stayed gone for so long that Alec came looking for her. She was sitting in the snow in an open field when he found her. His footsteps crunched loudly as he walked toward her through the soft, white powder.

"What are you doing, Amore?" he asked quietly as he folded himself down next to her.

She shifted and turned to face him, watching the white flakes as they settled in his dark hair. "I was watching the snow," she confessed. "You know, it's true what they say. No two flakes are alike. At least, as far as I've seen."

He smiled, his eyes sparkling like two glittering, black diamonds in the evening light. It had been a while since they last hunted. Bella was very different from most vampires. Human blood repulsed her. She had tried it once after she was turned, at Alec's behest. He had been so worried about her, worried that she would fade away from the lack of nourishment. She had gone with him and he'd shared his prey, but the smell made her nauseous. The taste was even worse. After that disaster, she'd tried to hunt animals. While they tasted better than a human, they still didn't appeal to her. She'd been sustaining herself on Alec. He tasted wonderful to her and she didn't need much. She had fed last week and she was still not thirsty. She longed to talk to Carlisle, to see if he knew anything at all on the subject. They'd already talked to Marcus and he hadn't ever heard of anything like it. He had set the task to Volterra's best researcher, Afton, to try and find anything that he could on the subject.

In the meantime, Bella sated her thirst on Alec. She felt really bad about it, as it meant that it weakened him slightly afterwards. He also had to hunt a little more often. She felt as if she was huge burden to him, like she was some sort of parasite sucking away his life force. She had thought more than once that she was going to steal away from him and Jane, that she wouldn't be his problem anymore, but she couldn't bring herself to leave him. She needed him. He made her whole.

She touched the purple shadow beneath his eyes gently. "You're thirsty," she whispered.

"I'm fine," he assured. "So, snowflakes?"

She nodded absently as her fingers traced his chin and traveled down his neck. She wanted to lick him and trace the same path with her tongue. She shivered and it had nothing to do with the cold.

"Yes, they are fascinating," she admitted as she tugged on the scarf around his neck, revealing more of his flesh. "I get distracted. I'm still getting used to my eyes working the way that they do."

"I know, Tesoro. I was only teasing."

"Hmmm... You know, it's not nice to tease," she scolded as she pushed him onto his back. "I think maybe you should be punished for being so cruel."

She smiled wickedly as she pinned him to the ground with her shield. It was new trick that she'd learned. She'd been practicing her gift, trying to learn the exact extent of her power. It didn't only destroy. She could protect with it, herself and others, and she could use it as some sort of force field. Alec said it was like a wall, a bubble that surrounded him that he could not break through. She'd been hesitant at first to use him for practice. She didn't want to accidentally hurt him, so at first she had used only animals. She was like a diamond in the rough. She needed polishing and as she learned, she progressed to using Alec as her guinea pig.

She kept him flat against the snow as she rid him of his clothes. He groaned as her fingers traced the dark trail of hair on his stomach. She let her fingers ghost over his skin, just barely making contact with the softest of touches. She knew that she was driving him wild.

Keeping him pinned into place, she traced her fingers across the length of his groin. His cock twitched in response, as if it could will itself into her hand. She stubbornly circled away from where she knew that he wanted her to touch the most and trailed her fingers along the length of his strong thighs.

"Isaballa," he panted. "Please!"

She smiled as her fingers found their way back up his legs and to the swell of the velvety, soft pouch between his legs . She cupped him gently and squeezed, earning another groan from her partner. She watched fascinated as a pearly drop of liquid beaded at the tip of his cock. She caught it with her finger and placed it in her mouth. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she slowly stood and backed away from him. He tasted so good to her.

She watched him as she pulled her clothes from her body, deliberately toying with Alec. She was playing with fire and she knew it. She knew that he would make her pay in full when she finally let him up. She swayed as she stripped, following the rhythm in her mind. She released her shield as she pulled her panties from her legs.

She was flat on her back before she even realized that he was up and moving toward her. He was that fast. She lay calmly beneath him as it was her turn to be pinned to the ground. The snow was pleasantly soft beneath her and not at all cold as he pressed insistently against her. She was stronger that Alec, and could easily overpower him, but she didn't want to. Her arousal grew and she pressed her body up and into his, arching against him as he gripped her wrists with his hands and pressed them to the ground on either side of her head.

He growled as he lunged forward and took one of her nipples between his lips. She cried out in pleasure as his teeth scraped the small bud tortuously. She hissed as his teeth broke her skin and the sting of his venom coursed through her. It was the most pleasurable pain.

She growled as he joined them, his body forcing its way through the slickness of her folds. He set up a punishing rhythm and she met him thrust for thrust. She felt wild and out of control with him. It was a feeling that terrified her. The last time that she had entrusted herself to another, she had gotten hurt. The memory of Edward and why he left still haunted her. She was frightened of her feelings for Alec if only for the fact that they were stronger than the feelings that she'd had for Edward.

Alec released her wrists and she held onto him as he threaded his fingers in her hair, baring her throat to him. It was an extremely dangerous position for her to be in. One well placed bite, and her head could be detached from her body. But she trusted Alec completely. He wouldn't hurt her.

She shuddered beneath him as her body coiled tighter and tighter. His breath was hot in her ear as he strained above her. His efforts were pushing them across the expanse of the field. She giggled softly when she thought of what sort of impressions that they might be leaving in the snow. They would have to erase their 'tracks' before they left.

Her breath hitched as he changed his angle and his cock starting rubbing against that special spot with every pass.

"Alec,"she breathed as her eyes fluttered shut.

"Let go," he bid softly as he licked the length of her neck. "Come for me, Belleza. Come for me now."

His teeth sunk into her flesh and she shattered. Small electric pulses starting at her toes coursed through the length of her body. Her lips tingled and her fingers twitched as she felt her lover reach his own completion, his growls vibrating his lips against her throat. She shivered as his tongue laved over her wound, closing it with his saliva.

They laid in the snow for a long while afterwards. It continued to fall, covering them with a thin layer of the soft, white powder. Finally, they started to stir and come back to life.

"I wish," Alec said wistfully. "That my sister could find her mate. I wish that she could know the joy and the peace that I feel."

It was the first time, since she awoke in Volterra as a vampire, that Alec had spoke about what she was to him. She couldn't deny the pull that she felt towards him. But she was confused. Edward had claimed that they were mates as well. How could it be that she had two mates? She'd felt drawn to Edward too. It was something that she constantly thought about. What would happen when she saw Edward again?

She pulled on her clothes carefully. She didn't want to rip anything. "I hope she finds her mate, too," she murmured quietly. She had seen Jane watching them, sadness etched into her ageless face. She knew that his sister was lonely, even though they were all together. She didn't have what she did with Alec.

"He's out there somewhere," she said as she turned and faced him fully clothed once more. "We just have to find him."

January bled into February and they continued their travels. They made their way all the way across Europe. They stopped in Romania, where they visited the original castle of Vlad Dracul. The structure was enormous. She couldn't believe how well preserved the building seemed to be for how old it was. They spent hours exploring the huge halls and wandering through the hundreds of rooms.

They had a surprise waiting for them when they left the cavernous palace. There were two vampires waiting for them at the end of the bridge. One had dark hair, almost black. The other had pale blond, almost white hair. It reminded her uncomfortably of Caius' hair.

They halted when they saw the strangers and Alec pressed her behind him, standing in front of both her and Jane.

"Ve mean you no harm," the light haired one said placatingly as he held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Ve are merely curious. Vord has spread far and wide of the strange, newborn vampire that single-handedly took out over half of the Volturi."

Bella shifted self-consciously behind Alec as she felt their eyes linger on her. "Not half," she blurted out.

"Semantics," the dark haired one argued. "Aro and Caius and both their mates. And you lured the vitch twins to leave. Over half. They are veaker now."

Alec growled softly next to her. "What do you really want?" he bristled. "I know that you didn't come to chit-chat, Stefan."

Bella flinched behind Alec. He knew them. She peeked out from behind him to examine the strangers a little closer. They both wore simple black clothing. Their skin had the same chalky look as the elders in Volterra meaning they were as old as them. Other than that, she didn't see anything else of consequence. She stepped further to the side and regarded them carefully.

The blond headed vampire's eyes remained pinned on her and she didn't miss the look of hunger present in them. Not for her body. No, he wanted her power.

Stefan took a step closer and Alec tensed beside her. "Vhile it is true," he spoke with that strange cadence of the locals. "That you and I have had our _differences_ in the past. I vish to extend the olive branch, so to speak. Ve have been varring vith each other for centuries. Ve vould rather be friends."

Bella could see right through his words. They didn't want to be friends. They wanted to use her. And Alec and Jane too.

"Friends?" Alec laughed. "I know what you're really after. The both of you. And you can forget it. Jane and I are still loyal to Marcus. Bella is loyal to only herself. She left Volterra peacefully and allowed Marcus to remain in control. She wants no part in any of that."

"Vhy don't you let the lady speak for herself, Alec?" the pale haired vampire asked.

"It's true," Bella said, her eyes hard. She didn't like these vampires. They reminded her too much of Aro. "I have no interest in being any kind of ruler over vampires. I just want to live my life."

"But your power," Stefan stated reverently. "There are whispers that you reduced Aro to ash vith just a look. Surely you..."

"Vould vant to have a say in vhat goes on in the vampire community," the pale haired vampire finished.

"Vladimir," Alec warned. "I'm only going to say this once. Don't come any closer. You already know of mine and my sister's powers. They pale in comparison to Bella's."

"Shut up, Alec," she said mortified. If she was human, she would have been an unattractive shade of fuschia. "You're embarrassing me. But no, Vladimir. I have no interest in vampire politics."

"Vell, the invitation is open dragi," he said with a leer. "Ve vould be most honored if you vanted to join our ranks."

Bella stared at them for a moment before they turned and disappeared into the twilight. She shivered and turned to Alec. "Who are they?"

Alec's eyes remained wary and trained on the horizon as he answered her. "That was Stefan and Vladimir. They are all that is left of the old ruling class of vampires. Aro recruited and raised a guard powerful enough to overthrow their rule. It was a long and bloody war that lasted for a century. By the time it was all said and done, Stefan and Vladimir are all that remains of their coven. They have been searching and plotting for centuries on how to regain their positions and overthrow the Volturi. That is why they are so interested in you Tesoro."

"That was why they commented on the Volturi being weakened," she whispered.

He nodded sagely. "Since Aro made Jane and myself, the Volturi have been untouchable. How could they attack when I could take all their senses from them? My absence is a boon to Vladimir and Stefan. Of course, they couldn't do anything with just the two of them, but they could try and raise an army again."

"Well," Bella said thoughtfully. "We should go back and visit Volterra. We have to warn Marcus about the Romanians."

"Thank you, Bella," Jane said as she stepped up on the other side of Alec.

"For what?" she asked in confusion. She hadn't done anything.

"For caring," she answered simply. "Marcus has been a father figure to me. More so than Aro ever was. He's important to me and it means a lot to me that you'd go back to give him warning of the danger. You owe him no allegiance."

"That may be true," Bella conceded. "But I know the difference between right and wrong. The Romanians only want revenge. And power. Not what is in the best interest of our kind."

"Truer words were never spoken," Alec murmured as he pressed his face into her hair. "Come, we must go and get word to Marcus."

They traveled as quickly as they could back to Italy. They knew that if Vladimir and Stefan were going to try anything, it would take them some time to get all their ducks in a row. But time was still of the essence. They knew that Marcus would need time to strategize, maybe even go on the offensive if they heard confirmation that the Romanians were indeed raising an army.

It was St. Valentine's Day when they arrived back in Volterra. Garish pink and red decorations littered the streets. Alec wondered if humans truly knew the origins of Valentine's Day, would they still celebrate it? It was meant to be religious holiday, to honor Valentinius' martyrdom. It was said that he healed his jailer's daughter and later wrote her a 'valentine' as his goodbye before his death. Rather morbid if you asked him.

They walked down the cobbled streets cautiously. They went through the front doors to the office building that served as a front to the Volterra castle. He didn't want to risk using the secret, subterranean entrance. For all he knew, Stefan and Vladimir could have sent spies in advance to learn what they could about the Volturi and their fortifications.

He greeted Gianna as they passed and led Bella over to the elevators, his sister trailing behind him. They were quiet during the trip down. He knew that Bella was a little anxious upon returning to the place where she had taken out most of the leaders of his coven. She was probably worried about retaliation.

It was silly. Alec knew that she was more than capable of defending herself in a fight. Not only that, but he was here and he would allow no harm to come to her. He squeezed her hand, silently reassuring her as the doors opened on the basement level. They followed the hallway, hearing voices from the throne room echoing down the hall.

"I know not of where they have gone, Carlisle," Marcus said sagely. "She was ready to leave after dispatching Aro and Caius. You can understand my reluctance to try and stop her."

"She could be in danger," another voice argued heatedly. "God only knows what they are doing to her..." Alec felt Bella stiffen beside him. She must recognize the voice. He quickened his pace slightly. He had a feeling that he was about to meet these animal drinkers that she had spoken about.

"Alec won't hurt Bella," Marcus said harshly. "I saw the bond between them myself. He would never harm his mate."

Alec heard a hiss just before they walked through the entryway. Immediately he assessed the level of threat around him. Marcus was talking to Carlisle Cullen, whom he recognized, and another bronze haired vampire that seemed to be very agitated. Behind Carlisle stood a small female vampire with short, dark hair and a blond headed male. He was heavily scarred and Alec recognized him from the Southern Newborn Wars as Maria's general.

Jasper.

Who was very dangerous indeed. Bella came to a halt beside him as the bronze haired vampire turned in their direction.

"Bella," he whispered.

She had no reply. She remained so still at his side, that she could have been a piece of statuary. He took a step toward them and a growl rumbled in his throat. Bella placed a hand on his arm to try and calm him. It worked until the stranger took another step closer. He growled again.

"Don't," she said weakly. "Don't come any closer, Edward."

So, this was the infamous Edward Cullen. The vampire that had toyed with his love's emotions. He wanted to execute him on the spot.

Edward took another step towards them and Alec felt Bella's shield pulse away from them. He watched as Edward continued to try and move toward them. He couldn't move beyond the wall that Bella had built between them. She was so powerful. A surge of pride overwhelmed him and he felt very lucky that she was his mate.

"She isn't yours," Edward hissed violently. "She is mine."

Ahhh... he must be a mind reader Alec mused silently to himself. He didn't seem to be like Aro though, who had required touch to hear your thoughts.

"Very good," Edward acknowledged. "You are smarter than you look."

"Edward," Carlisle chastised. "We are not here to make a scene. You wanted to check on Bella for yourself and now we have. Obviously, Bella is fine."

"No, she's not," he argued. "Look at her. She's been brainwashed."

"Edward," the small female warned as she looked at Edward pointedly.

His face hardened into one of silent fury. Obviously, he hadn't liked what she had communicated to him through her thoughts.

His gaze swung back to them as he once again tried to move closer. Bella's shield held him back though. It remained impenetratable. "Bella, please," he pleaded.

"Why?" she choked out suddenly. "Why did you leave me like that? Do you have any idea what I've been through? Of course you don't. Did you know that my mother died in a plane crash right after she left Phoenix? Did you know that Charlie was killed right before I left for college? That Jacob stopped being my friend about six months after my so-called accident? That I couldn't remember anything until a few moments before I was changed? I had these horrible dreams, nightmares really, that I now know were memories. Where were you? Where were all of you?"

She was shouting by the end of her tirade. Her shield flickered momentarily as she faltered. Her emotions were getting the better of her. Alec placed an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him trying to sooth her. She was absolutely distraught.

"Bella," Edward placated. "I only did what I thought was best. After what James did... Well, I knew that you shouldn't be a part of my world. When Alice saw that you wouldn't regain your memories, I made the decision to leave. You deserved a normal human life."

"Yeah," she said bitterly. "It was full of sorrow and heartbreak. And I ended up with the same fate. I'm still a vampire despite your choices."

"Yes, you are," Edward agreed. "But now there is nothing stopping us. We can be together again."

Alec growled harshly at his words. There was no way that he was going to let this stranger walk in and take away his reason for living. He would kill him before he allowed that to happen.

"No, Edward," Bella said, her voice strangely calm after the anger that she had just displayed. "We won't be. We can never be. Not ever again. The moment you left me, you destroyed what was between us. You never loved me. Not as I loved you. I would have never, could have never left your side like you did to me. I'm sure that you were waiting your first chance to be free of the pitiable, weak human. You saw your opening and you took it. It's much too late now for regrets."

"Bella," he whispered. "You don't mean that."

"Oh, but I do," she said confidently. "I understand much better now than I did before. I did love you. But it is weak in comparison to what I feel for Alec. What we have goes beyond love. I would say look into my mind and see but I know that you can't. But you can read Marcus' mind. He can show you."

"Bella, please," he begged. "I never stopped loving you. I was only trying to protect you."

"Yeah," she laughed. "And we see how well that turned out. Edward, I wish you the very best. I really do. I still care about you, but I don't love you. Not any more."

Alec watched with satisfaction as the younger vampire's face wrinkled into a grimace. He deserved every ounce of pain that he was feeling, and then some. How he could have ever hurt the one that he supposedly loved was beyond him. Bella could have never been his true mate. If she was, he never would have left her. Alec thought that the silence of her mind was probably what drew him in. She was different. Unique. Special.

He turned his attention away from the grief-stricken vampire and back to Marcus. They had a matter to attend to. "Marcus," he greeted. "As much as I wish that this was merely a social call, we've come to bring word of the Romanians."

"Ahhh..." Marcus murmured. "Vladimir and Stefan. You've seen them?"

"Yes," Alec answered. "At Turgoviste. They were most curious about Bella and her powers."

"I imagine they were," Marcus mused. "I'm sure they tried to recruit her."

"They did," Alec affirmed. "They seemed most excited about the possibility of the Volturi being weakened."

"I'm sure they were, Alec," Marcus answered as he rose and paced away from his chair. "They've been trying for centuries to regain power. If they got Bella on their side, they would be assured of their victory. It is lucky for you that you are so powerful, dearest, or else they might not have even asked. As it was, they are probably too terrified to try and take you by force."

"I'd never allow it," Alec growled. "They'd be dead before they knew what was happening."

Marcus smiled as he turned to face them. "The more likely scenario would be one of Bella dispatching them before you ever had a chance to touch them. But it is rather endearing to see you defend your mate so vehemently."

"Get your jollies at my expense, Marcus," Alec groused. "I just wanted you to know of the threat. And that Jane and myself remain loyal. You need only call and we will come to the coven's defense. We can't allow the Romanians to try and rule again. It would be disastrous in this day and age."

"Thank you," Marcus replied. "I know that I can count on you and Jane. As for you Bella, my good friend Carlisle and I have been discussing your unique situation and he has agreed to help me research. We'll try to find some answers regarding your special diet."

"Thank you, Marcus," Bella answered. "I know that you owe me nothing. I've caused havoc in your life for doing what I did..."

"Think nothing of it, child," Marcus cut her off. "Aro and Caius were wicked and cruel. I discovered after his death that Aro had been using Chelsea to manipulate the bonds between those in our coven. I also found out that he murdered his own sister, my mate to keep me bound to the Volturi. I had wanted to take her and leave as I grew weary of this lifestyle. He killed her so that I wouldn't go. I maintain what I said before, you did the world a favor."

"Thank you," she said bashfully.

"Your welcome," he answered kindly. "Now, you are more than welcome to stay as we search for an answer. I will send Demetri and Felix out to scout the Romanians as well to see what they are up to in the meantime."

Bella looked up at Alec and nodded. "We will stay for a while," Alec answered. "I want to be sure that the Romanians are not a threat before we leave again."

They turned to leave and the short, dark haired female vampire stepped away from her mate. "Bella, wait."

Bella closed her eyes and leaned on Alec's shoulder, trembling slightly. He was worried about her. She'd expended a great deal of energy trying to hold Edward away from her. "I can't, Alice. Not right now," she said sadly. "Maybe not ever."

Alec guided Bella away from the room but he paused as he walked past his sister. He could tell that there was something bothering her immensely. She stood still, frozen as if she were carved from a piece of granite. He could see the miniscule lines of worry and fear carved on her ancient face. He could see the smallest flicker of horror reflected in her eyes.

"What is wrong, sister?" he asked. "What is troubling you so?"

She looked up at him, her eyes wide. "It's him," she whispered, her eyes fixated on the young bronze haired vampire. "Edward is my mate."

End note:

Translations:

Dragi: dearest

Amore: love

Tesoro: treasure

Belleza: beautiful


End file.
